When I heard that Tom diCillo (Living in Oblivion) had a documentary on The Doors in competition at Sundance this year, I was very excited.  His 1995 film, Living in Oblivion is a bitterly funny take on the frustrations of independent filmmaking.  More importantly, The Doors was my favorite band in High School - that I believed I’d discovered myself, a few decades after their heyday - and Jim Morrison became something of a personal hero.  I had posters of him on my wall, I had all of the albums, I read No One Here Gets Out Alive and a volume of his poetry, and I even grew my hair out to look like his before he’d grown a serious paunch and facial hair.  I’ve since outgrown this fad, and Ray Manzarek’s organ just doesn’t move me anymore, but who wouldn’t want to go back and relive the exciting moments of teenaged discovery?   (more…)

This was a movie directed by Dennis Hopper that I watched in my younger days, but didn’t really understand their search for the drug enriched American dream. I could however rock out to it’s awesome soundtrack and smooth vibes while Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper tear up the roads and meet various acquaintances. This movie featured some of the music that inspired the era and embraced the counterculture that was surfacing in America. This movie shot its way to fame due to it’s innovative use of a rock soundtrack and the charm of the main characters Wyatt and Billy.     (more…)